'The world's most famous train' - The Flying Scotsman celebrates 150 years - BBC News 'The world's most famous train' - The Flying Scotsman celebrates 150 years By Liz Rawlings BBC Scotland news 18 June 2012 Read more about sharing. Close share panel Image caption The Flying Scotsman has also been known as the 'Special Scotch Express', 'The Flying Scotchman' and the 'Ten O'Clock' "Take me by the Flying Scotsman." 18 June 2012 is a landmark in Britain's railway history Bob Gwynne, National Railway Museum These were the words emblazoned across a London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) poster in 1932 promoting the famous London-Edinburgh train service. The poster wasn't re-issued - its futurist art design was unpopular at the time - but the sentiment has survived. For many, the Flying Scotsman epitomises the nostalgia, romance and glamour associated with rail travel of a by-gone era. The Flying Scotsman - the train often labelled "the most famous in the world" - celebrates 150 years in operation this month.

A named, daily passenger service between London's King's Cross station and Edinburgh called the Flying Scotsman has been running since 18 June 1862. Not to be confused with 'Flying Scotsman' - the engine, which, in 1923 was given the same name as the East Coast Main Line's most illustrious express to honour the service. 'Forgotten man' Image caption The Flying Scotsman was sped up in 1932, with LNER promoting the service with this poster Bob Gwynne, associate curator of rail vehicles at the National Railway Museum in York - where the engine 'Flying Scotsman' is being restored - said the famous train came about because of one forgotten man. He said: "18 June 2012 is a landmark in Britain's railway history, thanks to the forgotten story of one man. "150 years ago at 10:00, a new service, the 'Special Scotch Express' was launched from London King's Cross going north and from Edinburgh Waverley going south at 10:00.

Mr Gwynne said the train was the idea of Walter Leith, General Passenger Supt of the Great Northern Railway, whose story has since been erased from all popular history of the service. He said: "Leith's innovative idea saw the introduction of through carriages up to Scotland at a time when the East Coast Main Line was operated by three separate railway companies." In 1862 the journey time was 10 and a half hours between London and Edinburgh. The service now runs at a time of four hours, operated by East Coast. History From the 1920s the train was considered the height of luxury. Onboard there were first-class restaurant facilities, a cocktail bar and radio equipment, so passengers could hear the horse-racing results. There was even a hairdressing salon where men could have their facial hair shaved with an open razor, made possible because the barber's chair was set in such a position that there would be "no jolting". The train's hairdresser was reportedly known as "Sweeney Todd of the Rails", given his precarious trade.

Image caption In the 1920s the train even had a barber on board In 1928 the train broke the record for the longest regular non-stop train journey in the world, when the LNER ran an express service for the entire 393-mile route. This record would last until 1948, when, unintentionally, the train broke its own record. The Flying Scotsman ran for 408 and a half miles in May of that year when flood damage to the main line caused diversions via St Boswells and Kelso. Throughout World War II The Flying Scotsman was one of the few titled trains that continued to operate along the East Coast - it carried troops between London and Scotland, although the headboards and roofboards were removed for security. And, on 21 June 1958, in a historic move which would signal the decline of steam, The Flying Scotsman was hauled for the first time by a diesel locomotive. 'Set clocks' The service is currently run by government-owned East Coast. In May 2011 they relaunched the service, painting one of their locomotives, the Class 91 No.

91101 with Flying Scotsman branding. At the launch East Coast said the move was "part of our policy of bringing back train names and restoring pride, passion and even a touch of glamour and romance back to the East Coast railway". Image caption "Flying Scotsman" engine, which hauled the train is being restored at York's National Railway Museum However, railway enthusiasts have lamented the loss of the traditional 10:00 departure time. The Flying Scotsman now only runs in one direction, leaving from Edinburgh Waverley at 05:40. Despite the new time, East Coast said the service was still extremely popular with rail passengers and the train was being promoted "far and wide across the UK." On its centenary, in 1968, railway writer C. Hamilton Ellis described the Flying Scotsman's endurance. He said: "For a century it has been with us. Out on the great fens, across the Plain of York, in the hill villages of the North East and in the Border farms, people have set their clocks by it, down the long years." On its 150th anniversary, the Flying Scotsman continues to hold a similar place of affection in the public consciousness.

The Flying Scotsman conductor shouts at trainspotters on first trip since £4.2m refit | Daily Mail Online comments Shrouded in steam through the scenic British countryside almost a century after it was built, the Flying Scotsman gave trainspotters a day to remember. But the excitement was too much for some yesterday, who forced it to come to a 'shuddering stop' on its inaugural journey by standing on the line. The train, which departed London King's Cross at 7.40am and arrived in York at 1.20pm yesterday, came to a halt near St Neots in Cambridgeshire. And the conductor of one of the world's most famous trains leaned out of the window 50 miles into its first official run after a £4.2million refit. Footage taken from inside shows him yelling: ‘Will you get right off the line side?! You are causing the railway to be shut.

Right off the line side!' Scroll down for video Glorious: The Flying Scotsman makes its first run with passengers after a major refit and overhaul, at Greatford crossing in Lincolnshire Here she comes: The Flying Scotsman has completed its journey from London to York despite being 20 minutes behind schedule Arriving in York: Many trainspotters wanted the perfect picture, but one group further south went too far, causing it to 'suddenly stop' Arrival: Network Rail pleaded with trainspotters to be safe, and after the first disruption the vehicle had a smooth journey to York Steaming through: The locomotive, pictured at Colton Junction near York, looked majestic in its original livery of British Rail green Refit costing £4.2million: Dozens of photographers watched the historic steam train on its inaugural journey at Colton Junction near York The Flying Scotsman eventually completed its trip in five hours 40 minutes - running 20 minutes behind schedule due to the trespassing incident. Following the disruption, Network Rail pleaded with the several thousand spectators lining the route to stay safe while watching the iconic train.

Passengers had described a 'shuddering stop', while footage filmed from the stationary train showed people walking down the tracks holding cameras. The Rail magazine's editor Nigel Harris, who was on the train, said it had to carry out a ‘big break’ following ‘rampant trespass by mindless hordes’. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share An NR spokesman said: 'The number of people beside the track is already giving us safety concerns and means we are having to slow trains down. 'Trespassing on the railway is illegal and incredibly dangerous. Please help us to make today a success and stay off the railway.' Spectacular trails of steam were left in the wake of the locomotive, including outside Arsenal FC’s Emirates Stadium as it travelled north from London. Thousands of people gathered on platform one at London's King's Cross to watch the historic steam locomotive depart ahead of the journey.

Smoking: The Flying Scotsman powered past the Eggborough Power Station near Selby, North Yorkshire, as it neared its destination Waving: The engineering marvel leaves a trail of steam in its wake as it travels near East Retford in Nottinghamshire on its marathon trip Greatford in Lincolnshire: The National Railway Museum bought it for £2.3million in 2004 before work got under way on its restoration Fantastic moment: A worker waves to the Flying Scotsman as it travels past the Lincolnshire village of Greatford, near Stamford Wonderful: The steam engine - seen at Greatford - will be kept at the NRM in York until March 6 before embarking on a tour around the UK Hello: A passenger enjoying a drink on board waves to a spectator after the train took on water at Connington Junction in Peterborough Watching it go: The Flying Scotsman passes through Godmanchester in Cambridgeshire, in between St Neots and Huntingdon Making tracks: The Flying Scotsman passed through the Cambridgeshire village of Offord Cluny during its journey from London to York Passengers had paid as much as £450 for a ticket.

In total, 297 passengers were on the journey, including VIPs, fundraisers, competition winners and ticket-buying members of the public. Among them was Michael Portillo, who was 'very excited' to witness the 'engineering triumph' while filming for the BBC's Great British Railway Journeys. He said: 'This is certainly the most famous journey and most famous locomotive in Britain. 'It's absolutely wonderful that it's able to run today from London to York. We've got a very excited bunch of passengers. We've got a whole lot of history.' Asked why the Flying Scotsman was so popular, he replied: 'Partly it's because it was an engineering triumph. ‘It was a big locomotive, it was powerful and it reached 100 miles per hour.

'And partly because of the extraordinarily successful marketing in the 1920s onwards so Flying Scotsman became entirely iconic.' Shout: The train conductor peers out of the window (left) before leaning out (right) to shout at trespassers on the railway line near St Neots Through Hertfordshire: The engineering marvel, pictured travelling over the Digswell Viaduct near Welwyn Garden City, has been restored Beautiful: Described by Michael Portillo as an 'engineering triumph', the legendary locomotive is pictured near Hatfield in Hertfordshire Potters Bar: The National Railway Museum bought the Flying Scotsman for £2.3million in 2004 and has spent a decade restoring it Gunners: The train left an incredible trail of steam outside Arsenal's Emirates Stadium as it roared past the North London football ground Snaps: Photographers watched the majestic train depart from King's Cross in London, but another group later on forced it to come to a halt Mr Portillo said Sir Nigel Gresley, who designed the locomotive, had 'an eye for engineering, for design, for style and for marketing'.

The last man to drive the historic train before it was taken out of service in 1963 was also on board for the trip up the East Coast Main Line. Ron Kennedy, who first drove the Flying Scotsman in 1956, beamed with delight as the majestic steam engine pulled into King's Cross. The 83-year-old from Essex, who had first worked as a cleaner at the station almost 70 years age, said: 'It's unbelievable. ‘I never dreamt about being on it again. To be out with it is just fantastic. It was a good engine. ‘We didn't know them by their names, we knew them by their numbers. So to us it was 60103.' 'When the railway museum took it over they didn't know what to do with it but public donations meant they could put it back together again.

Delighted: Passengers include VIPs, fundraisers, competition winners and train fans - some of whom paid as much as £450 for a ticket Chuffed to be there: Admirers throng platform one at King’s Cross Station as they catch a glimpse of the majestic locomotive Ready to depart: Excited onlookers took advantage of the rare opportunity to photograph the locomotive at platform one of King's Cross Majestic: Trainspotters were covered in steam at King's Cross as the locomotive, taking 297 passengers to York, left the capital Puffing: The iconic train has been painted in its original livery of British Rail green to mark the completion of the decade-long refit 'I think they've done a wonderful job. It belongs to the public really so let's keep it so it's always there for our children and grandchildren.' We've got a very excited bunch of passengers. We've got a whole lot of history Michael Portillo Paul Kirkman, director of the National Railway Museum in York, said the Flying Scotsman was a reminder that 'railways have been making this country run properly for nearly 200 years'.

He said: 'It's a very special day because it's the world's most famous locomotive and it's back on the tracks again heading up the route that it would historically have done up the East Coast Main Line. 'Not quite all the way to Edinburgh but to a very good substitute in the National Railway Museum in York. 'It's the culmination of years of work to get this thing done, so to see it steaming back into here and steaming out back to the museum in York is an incredibly satisfying experience.' This week marks the anniversary of the iconic locomotive leaving Doncaster Works on February 27, 1923, after it was built. The last time the train made its way to Edinburgh was in 2000, with its last outing in 2005 from York to Scarborough.

Working hard: Crew members in the engine room as the train, built in 1923, prepared to depart King's Cross station at the start of the trip Leaving King's Cross: Crew members were on hand to ensure the locomotive - known by its former crew as 60103 - safely departed Tough graft: The crew work inside the engine room of the train, which was expected to travel to York in five hours before the delays Wednesday: The train, pictured passing through Kilburn as it arrived in London ahead of the trip, broke the 100mph barrier back in 1934 The Flying Scotsman's incredible engineering prowess was demonstrated when it became the first train to break the 100mph barrier in 1934. The original Flying Scotsman train service began in Edinburgh in 1862 and still runs today. Its journey between Edinburgh and London took ten hours and stopped just once - for a half an hour stop for lunch at York. The National Railway Museum bought the locomotive for £2.3million in 2004 before work got under way on its restoration two years later.

For its restoration, Flying Scotsman was painted in its original livery of British Rail green and had its nameplates have been reattached. The steam engine will be kept at the museum until March 6 before embarking on a tour around the country. THE FLYING SCOTSMAN: TEN FACTS ABOUT THE LEGENDARY LOCOMOTIVE The Flying Scotsman, an A3 Pacific class locomotive, was originally built in 1923 for the London and North East Railway. It was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley and has been in the public eye since it first went into service, having been on display at the British Empire Exhibition the following year. The Flying Scotsman took eight hours to complete the trip between London and Edinburgh and in 1934 was officially credited with becoming the first steam locomotive to be clocked at 100 miles an hour. It holds a second record for the longest non-stop run of 422 miles when it was in Australia. The locomotive weighs about 100 tons. The Flying Scotsman has covered around 2,500,000 miles in its long career.

It had five numbers, 1472, 4472, 502, 103 and 60103. Doncaster railway works is where the engine was built. The Flying Scotsman took eight hours to cover the 392 miles between London and Edinburgh. At one stage it had a tender with a corridor to enable crew changes during the Edinburgh trip. Riding the Flying Scotsman - inspiring travel tips from Cool Places UK Riding the Flying Scotsman Share I’m writing this blog from aboard one of the world’s most famous rail journeys. No, not the Orient Express or the Trans Siberian – we’re talking about a train ride right here in the UK. I’m talking, of course, about the legendary Flying Scotsman. The fact that I’m writing a blog at all aboard is something that would have been quite alien to the first passengers on Britain’s king of trains. They boarded back in 1862 and chugged out of London King Cross in a grand puff of steam, bound for Edinburgh, a whopping 392 miles away, which in those days must have felt like a journey to the other side of the world.

Actually the Flying Scotsman was not even called the Flying Scotsman then; instead two trains used to simultaneously depart both Kings Cross in London and Edinburgh Waverley every day at 10am under the moniker ‘Special Scotch Express’. The journey time was a sedate 10½ hours, inclusive of a rather decadent lunch stop at York roughly halfway through the journey – a stop the Flying Scotsman made right up until 1928. That sojourn at York provides a window into just how luxurious the service was in its historic heyday. It was a veritable palace on wheels, complete with a plush restaurant and even a hairdresser. Taking the train was not something you did to get to work, more as the start or end of a great travel adventure. The journey-time was eventually cut to as little as four and a half hours, but by the time the the network was broken up in the 1990s much of the romance of the journey had been lost. Privatisation heralded turbulent times. The first operators – GNER – tried to resurrect the spirit of the old Flying Scotsman with proper restaurant cars and complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits.

However, they ran into financial difficulties and the route was taken over by National Express, who axed the dining car and service before they too ran into trouble. In 2009 the government stepped in to take over the route and it's now run by East Coast Trains, under whom it seems to have recaptured some of its old glories. Only some trains are actually called the Flying Scotsman now, but almost all follow the route of the original train, and it's a nice feeling to be boarding this historic train in London, especially as for once I'm in first class. We'd barely left the platform and I'd not even fired up my laptop before I’d been furnished with my first coffee (served in a proper cup) and a newspaper. I could get used to this! We quickly picked up speed as we zoomed through suburban London stations I soon could not even read the name of heading towards the train’s maximum permitted speed of 125mph. Arsenal’s Emirates station flashed by on the right and then the graceful outline of Alexandra Palace loomed to the left as we started to shake off the tentacles of Europe’s largest city.

We continued to bash north as I plug my laptop in and use the complimentary wifi to research the history of this great rail route. Breakfast arrives, a proper cooked affair or continental option. Later I also enjoy lunch, all part of a First Class service that includes free soft drinks and alcohol. At York I savour a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and raise a toast to the original passengers, who stopped for their decadent lunches here. Next comes the delightful form of Durham. Bill Bryson once remarked how he was so struck by the sight of the cathedral and castle from the train that he wondered why nobody had foisted car keys on him and forced him to visit Durham before. I’m with Bryson – Durham does look bewitching from the East Coast Mainline. We are heading into border country after we clear Newcastle – itself a scene of a dramatic crossing over the Tyne. Perhaps the most spectacular section of track comes as we approach the old border between Scotland and England at North Berwick – around the epic arch viaduct that takes us between the two sides of the town.

Shortly after we cross the border and bullet across the most attractive part of the journey yet, with the rugged sweep of the North Sea and its cliffs and beaches to our right and the rolling hills of the Borders then East Lothian on our left. All too soon we ease into Edinburgh Waverley just as I finish this blog and my last cup of coffee, four and half hours after leaving London Kings Cross. She may no longer be under steam or stop for lunch at York, but I’d thoroughly recommend a trip on today’s impressive descendant of the legendary Flying Scotsman. My next stop? Checking into The Balmoral Hotel, of course, not only perhaps Edinburgh’s finest hotel, but one of Europe’s great railway hotels – once a stalwart of Flying Scotsman passengers. Cool Places celebrates the glorious diversity of Great Britain, promoting the very best places to sleep, eat, drink, see, and shop. We particularly love the independent businesses that make the UK unique, from artisan bakers to farm shops, canoe trips to gastronomic tours, cool cafés to high-end restaurants and the tiniest B&B to the grandest boutique hotel.

Britain still going loco for iconic Flying Scotsman train | Europe | Travel | To Britain still going loco for iconic Flying Scotsman train Stephen Wickens, THE CANADIAN PRESS First posted: Thursday, April 07, 2016 12:00 AM EDT Flying Scotsman Previous Next The engine drivers and stokers get the The Flying Scotsman train ready to leave Kings Cross railway station in London to begin its journey to York, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016. The famous steam engine has undergone a 4.2 million pound (US$ 5.845 million) decade long restoration, the engine was made in February 1923, and was the first locomotive to reach a speed of 100 miles per hour (161 Kph) in 1934. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) AP An engineer removes a light from the front of the The Flying Scotsman as the train prepares to leave Kings Cross railway station in London to begins its journey to York, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016.

The famous steam engine has undergone a 4.2 million pound (US$ 5.845 million) decade long restoration, the engine was made in February 1923, and was the first locomotive to reach a speed of 100 miles per hour (161 Kph) in 1934. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) AP A woman poses by the side of the The Flying Scotsman train as it prepares to leave Kings Cross railway station in London to begin its journey to York, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016. The famous steam engine has undergone a 4.2 million pound (US$ 5.845 million) decade long restoration, the engine was made in February 1923, and was the first locomotive to reach a speed of 100 miles per hour (161 Kph) in 1934. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) AP The Flying Scotsman train gets up steam as it prepares to leave Kings Cross railway station in London, to begin its journey to York, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016.

The famous steam engine has undergone a 4.2 million pound (US$ 5.845 million) decade long restoration, the engine was made in February 1923, and was the first locomotive to reach a speed of 100 miles per hour (161 Kph) in 1934. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) AP An aerial view of the Flying Scotsman going over the Digswell Viaduct near Welwyn Garden City England Thursday Feb. 25, 2016. Train-spotters are lining the railroad tracks from London to York to see the famous Flying Scotsman steam engine take its inaugural run after a refit. Shrouded in steam, the Flying Scotsman set off on its journey from King's Cross in London. Shrouded in steam, the Flying Scotsman is making the journey up the east coast on Thursday. The train started at London's King's Cross station, where hundreds packed the platforms to take pictures and try to get a look.

(Steve Parsons/PA via AP) UNITED KINGDOM OUT NO SALES NO ARCHIVE AP The Flying Scotsman's front name plate and its number are seen as the train prepares to leave Kings Cross railway station in London for its journey to York, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016. The famous steam engine has undergone a 4.2 million pound sterling (US$ 5.845 million) decade long restoration, the engine was made in February 1923, and was the first locomotive officially to reach a speed of 100 miles per hour (161 Kph) in 1934. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) AP Shrouded in steam The Flying Scotsman train leaves Kings Cross railway station in London, as it begins its journey to York, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016.

The famous steam engine has undergone a 4.2 million pound sterling (US$ 5.845 million) decade long restoration, the engine was made in February 1923, and was the first locomotive officially to reach a speed of 100 miles per hour (161 Kph) in 1934. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) AP Cultural & Historical Travel YORK, United Kingdom -- Thankfully, a field of screaming schoolgirls settled our debate before we rolled into York station. Beatlemania would be the chosen parallel -- The Flying Scotsman 's return was a celebration after all. But some in the Car D media mob for the relaunch run had a point in raising Bobby Kennedy's 1968 funeral train. As a Sky TV producer put it: "When was the last time a country came to a virtual standstill to line the tracks in tribute?" For 330 kilometres, crowds cheered as we steamed north from London King's Cross station. Bridges and level crossings were jammed as people waved and shot video. Fanatics got too close and Britain's busiest mainline had to be shut down twice.

Drones and choppers shadowed our 11-car train, hauled by "the most famous locomotive in the world" -- saved from the scrapyard in 1963 but never really out of danger until the National Railway Museum 's 4.2-million-pound refurbishment got rolling in 2004. On board, tears and champagne flowed for fundraisers, restoration workers, peers of the realm and steam enthusiasts. Many had paid 450 pounds a ticket. Now, weeks later, it looks as if the love for this once cutting-edge wonder -- star of the 1924 British Empire Exhibition -- will be much more than a one-day affair. Flying Scotsman excursions are selling out nearly as soon as they're posted. The National Railway Museum in York is seeing record crowds even when "she" is away on the rails -- and make no mistake, locals insist on the quaint feminine pronoun for this 97-tonne beast. Sure, it's unlikely millions will again tune in simultaneously for trainspotting on the telly. Yes, The Flying Scotsman's power to bump Brexit and Donald Trump from top slot on U.K.

newscasts was a 36-hour thing; she might never again make news overseas as she did in late February. But the near consensus on Car D was that 53 years after retirement, The Flying Scotsman ranks with the Crown Jewels, Big Ben and the Abbey Road crosswalk on a short list of national icons. When a North American opinion was sought, I mentioned Stonehenge, but had to explain I'd never considered the locomotive's status or whether I could employ the overused word "historic." I had other reasons for coming 5,000 kilometres to catch a train: A granddad I never met drove The Flying Scotsman in her heyday, when the London and North Eastern Railway's marquee service was the height of luxury -- a daily eight-hour non-stop from London to Edinburgh with a barbershop and hair-dressing salon, even a cinema for a time. Before the reign of health-and-safety bureaucrats, my late dad accompanied his father "on the footplate" during school holidays.

It was a glamorous time: Ray Milland co-starred with the train in Britain's first talkie motion picture, a 1929 romantic thriller titled "The Flying Scotsman." Her name enriched my toddler vocabulary. In primary school, I knew she was the first to officially break the 100-miles-per-hour barrier -- faster than any current Canadian passenger trains. Dad's tales of gagging in smoke- and rat-filled tunnels gave me boyhood nightmares. I saw The Flying Scotsman at the 1970 Canadian National Exhibition, but I was a teen and not really paying attention. Before anyone on Car D could take offence at my suggestion that this wave of Scotsmania might be partly rooted in a country still pining for when Britannia actually ruled, I added that I'm English born and that there's no shame in pining. This trip involved plenty, including pining for a time when there was still hope the parents would get us kids to Britain while the last grandparent was alive. This time, there was comfort in seeing granddad's office, sitting in his seat, grabbing the regulator, absorbing sounds and scents he and dad would have known well.

I pulled the whistle and got a great and unexpected cheer from the crowd. (There also had been that tingling scalp and neck, a brief sense that departed ancestors were walking me up the platform in London.) All journeys are personal, and this was a lifetime highlight. Sure, I'd love to see The Flying Scotsman on the short list, but even dad and granddad would likely agree she'll have to earn it. This was an almost purely British crowd; the many proven icons of British tourism are cosmopolitan gathering points. Even Beatlemania went global. But it's also hard to imagine anyone up close, armed with historical knowledge, being able to ignore how The Flying Scotsman's power transcends the burning of coal, the pumping of steam and the mesmerizing drive-rod action that propelled the first era of high-speed rail -- let alone the engineering that made it all possible. That's worth cheering about. Flying Scotsman | Vehicles | For nearly three-quarters of a century the "Flying Scotsman" has left King's Cross for Edinburgh. It is doubtful if this record can be challenged by any other train in the world.

The details of the journey were distributed only during the short period at the end of the War when, owing to the imperative need of reducing train services, the "Scotsman" was combined with a train to Leeds and Bradford, and the starting time was temporarily altered to 9.30 a.m. Except for that break, this famous express has made its daily departure at 10 a.m. since June, 1862, from No. 10 platform at King's Cross, while the up "Scotsman," inaugurated at the same date has, with the exception of a short period during its earlier history, started from the Waverley Station, Edinburgh, at the same hour for London. Since then nearly 45,000 journeys have been made, and the "Flying Scotsman" has traveled for a total of eighteen million miles between London and Edinburgh alone, apart from the still longer journeys of the portions of the train which run through to Glasgow, Perth and Aberdeen. Every year the mileage run by the "Flying Scotsman" between the English and Scottish capitals would be sufficient to take each of the two trains on the service roughly five times round the world. During this long life tremendous changes have taken place.

When the "Flying Scotsman" first ran, the coaches of which it was composed were six-wheelers ; corridors had not been heard of and dining cars were unknown. Not until 1900 was a really up-to-date seven-coach train, made up entirely of twelve-wheeled cars carried on six-wheeled bogies, introduced to the service. These fine vehicles were 64 ft. 6 in. long, of an American pattern, with bow-end and the American "buck-eye" type of steel-coupling, which has been standard ever since for main-line stock on the East Coast route, and is one of the secrets of the smooth traveling for which these East Coast trains have been famous. Until 1900 the "Flying Scotsman" had always stopped for twenty minutes at York while its passengers ate a hasty lunch in the station dining-room ; but dining cars were included with the new coaches and the stop at York was cut from twenty minutes to under ten minutes. The seven-coach train of 1900 weighed 265 tons, and added at least 30 per cent to the weight of the trains that had been in use up till then.

About - Flying Scotsman Flying Scotsman Early Days The locomotive was built in Doncaster becoming the first locomotive of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). It left the works on 24 February 1923 with number 1472. It was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley as part of the A1 class – the most powerful locomotives used by the LNER at that time. By 1924, when it was selected to appear at the British Empire Exhibition in London, the loco had been renumbered 4472 – and had been given the name ‘Flying Scotsman’ after the London to Edinburgh rail service which started daily at 10am in 1862. The British Empire Exhibition made Flying Scotsman famous, and it went on to feature in many more publicity events for the LNER. In 1928, it was given a new type of tender with a corridor, which meant that a new crew could take over without stopping the train. This allowed it to haul the first ever non-stop London to Edinburgh service on 1 May, reducing the journey time to eight hours.

In 1934, Scotsman was clocked at 100mph on a special test run – officially the first locomotive in the UK to have reached that speed. War to Retirement LNER passenger locomotives had always been painted Apple Green. But during the Second World War, Flying Scotsman was repainted in wartime black, in common with all railway stock. (We recently repainted it this colour temporarily.) After the war, it became green again, and was rebuilt as an A3 Pacific. In 1948, rail travel in Britain was nationalised with the formation of British Railways. Scotsman, now numbered 60103, was painted blue for a time, then BR Green. It remained in this colour until 1963, when it was retired by British Rail. By this time, it had undergone several alterations to improve its performance – but it had been pulling trains for 40 years, and steam engines were becoming old-fashioned. Flying Scotsman at Carnforth Lancashire in 1974. (Image ref: 10450472) Preservation and ownership In January 1963 Alan Pegler bought Flying Scotsman.

As part of the deal, Pegler negotiated a complete overhaul of the locomotive. It was converted back to single chimney condition and repainted to London & North Eastern Railway livery. The tender was exchanged for a corridor type, and an agreement made that enabled it to run on the main line. In a blaze of publicity Scotsman ran its last train for BR on 14 January 1963. In May 1968 on the 40th anniversary of the first non-stop run, Flying Scotsman travelled non-stop from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh. In 1969 Flying Scotsman headed for America. The first year tour broke even, but the second lost money. To try to balance the books Pegler arranged for the train to travel to San Francisco. Trading was good but sponsorship didn’t materialise. Alan Pegler was forced into bankruptcy and for now at least, Scotsman was stranded in the USA. However, in 1973 Flying Scotsman was brought back to the UK after William McAlpine heard about the situation in the USA and promptly put together a rescue plan. Following a successful tour of Australia, Scotsman ran special trains around Britain.

In 1993 it received an interim overhaul and pop impresario Pete Waterman bought a 50% stake in it. In February 1996 businessman Tony Marchington bought Scotsman outright for £1.25 million. Saved for the Nation In 2004, Flying Scotsman hit the headlines again with yet another crisis over its ownership. A campaign spearheaded by National Railway Museum to save the locomotive for the nation amassed the support of thousands, confirming its status as a national treasure. Since 2006, Flying Scotsman has been undergoing an extensive restoration in the workshop of Riley & Son (E) Ltd. It has now completed last phases of the painstaking £4.2m project to bring the legend back to life, resplendent in its BR green livery in its guise as 60103. As the restoration process comes to an end, all eyes are – once again – trained on the world’s most famous locomotive. The next chapter in the Flying Scotsman story will be its triumphant return as a working museum exhibit, conquering yet another record as the oldest mainline working locomotive on Britain’s tracks.

Undoubtedly one of the jewels in the crown of the museum’s world-class collection, it will now be presented to a new generation of Scotsman fans captivating the public for generations to come. The appeal to keep the steam icon in Britain was supported by a £1.8 million grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the generosity of the public. The restoration has also been undertaken with the help of a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £275,000. Record Breaker: Buy your souvenir Train London to Edinburgh | Europe Forum | Fodor's Travel Talk Forums Train London to Edinburgh Tagged: Austria 14 Multi-generational 2 wk spain itinerary?

by Musetta | 3 responses; most recent on Jan 18, 17 at 12:40 AM 21 마카오바카라＼❣＼《 SO236.ZE。AM 》＼❣＼슈퍼카지노 by xdgfdyiuhggvfhg07 | Be the first to reply ; posted on Jan 18, 17 at 12:37 AM 22 House Hunting in France by Brilliantsulk | 79 responses; most recent on Jan 18, 17 at 12:37 AM Printer Friendly I am hoping that someone can help me. I will be travelling with my husband from London to Edinburgh on 8 June 2014 hopefully by train. Could anyone tell me the cheapest site to buy tickets on line for this trip. We are wanting to travel on the Flying Scotsman as my DH is a train enthusiast. Thank you in advance. indyhiker on Mar 3, 14 at 08:42 PM As far as I know, the so-called "Flying Scotsman" only services Edinburgh to London and not London to Edinburgh.

But that issue aside, the actual Flying Scotsman is no longer in use and is the property of the National Rail Museum in York. The "Flying Scotsman" service out of Edinburgh uses regular modern trains. janisj on Mar 3, 14 at 09:07 PM Go to East Coast Trains (or nationalraill.co.uk which will refer you to east coast trains) If either if you are over 60 consider getting a senior rail card - it will let you buy your tix at substantial discount. thursdaysd on Mar 3, 14 at 09:20 PM "As far as I know, the so-called "Flying Scotsman" only services Edinburgh to London and not London to Edinburgh." Whoever heard of a train that only runs in one direction? Also, there is a difference between the locomotive, LNER Class A3 4472, now retired, and the route, still in existence. Does your husband want the day train, which has inherited the name, or the sleeper?

For more info on the London-Edinburgh night train, see seat61.com/CaledonianSleepers.htm Note that there is also a very expensive luxury train called the Royal Scotsman. indyhiker on Mar 3, 14 at 10:03 PM Of course there's return service from a London to Edinburgh, but it takes longer than the service now billed as The Flying Scotsman from Edinburgh to London. That service departs from Edinburgh at 5:40 am, stops only in Newcastle and is scheduled to arrive in London before 10. There is no equivalent service from London to Edinburgh. ingretha8339 on Mar 3, 14 at 10:35 PM Thanks for your replies. We are both over 60 and are Aussies so I don't know if we are elligible in UK for a senior's card, we have Seniors Cards for Australia only. Janis, how do we apply for one, that is if we are elligible? We would like to travel during the day on the 8th anytime after 8.30 a.m. and don't require a sleeper.

I wasn't aware that the Flying Scotsman no longer ran from London. I know it won't be a steam train, but I thought that the service still had that name and that it was a fast train. You can obviously tell that I am new to this and probably haven't listened carefully enough to what DH has said about the train. janisj on Mar 3, 14 at 11:14 PM Yes you can get a senior rail card. Download the forms from the nationalraill, east coast trains or other website. Then buy the discounted tickets from home (don't submit the forms - you don't need the rail cards in hand to purchase tix but you will need them before picking up the tickets in the UK ) So the procedure is to download the forms and complete them at home. Then buy your train tix on line at the senior fares, to be collected at a station. Then when you are in London or wherever - go to a ticket window, submit the application forms, pay for the rail card, and collect your train tickets.

Man_in_seat_61 on Mar 4, 14 at 10:04 AM Book at , you get an extra 10% off their own advance fares booking directly with them. You want seats on the Right Hand Side of the train going north for the coastal scenery north of Newcastle. You can't choose a side when reserving, so ignore your reserved seats and sit in any unreserved RHS seats when you board the train, if they happen to be on the 'wrong' side. Either the 10:00 or 10:30 departure from Kings Cross has always been the traditional 'Flying Scotsman' departure, I can't remember which it now is, do some Googling to find out.

PalenQ on Mar 4, 14 at 06:31 PM We are wanting to travel on the Flying Scotsman as my DH is a train enthusiast.> If he is a train nut or enthusiastic like me then he at least may want to break his journey in York to see, adjacent to the main train station and free the National Rail Museum ( and see all the historic trains, from I believe Stevenson's first one (not sure) a host of royal carriages and trains and maybe a Flying Scotsman - buy two tickets in this case - London to York and York to Edinburgh. If not on a tight schedule spend the night in York, one of England's finest cities with the fantastic York Minster and town walls to traipse around on and have tea at the Uber famous Betty's Tea Rooms (or whatever it proper name is!) ingretha8339 on Mar 4, 14 at 07:23 PM Thanks PalenQ, we stayed a week in York the last time we visited the UK and loved it, you are so right about it being one of England's finest cities.

DH spent a couple of days at the Museum whilst I did my own thing (antiques) and visiting my grandparents' house. Loved Betty's Tea Rooms especially the Fat Rascalls. We are visiting another Betty's this time in Harrogate. Otherwise would have had to make a special trip back to York! historytraveler on Mar 4, 14 at 08:49 PM "The Flying Scotsman" is being restored. It's original departure was @ 10:00 which is why the 10:00 departure is now being called "the Flying Scotsman. " This is in name only. There is no difference from the 10:00 departure/train and any other departure. If you prefer to leave earlier, I suggest you do so.

PalenQ on Mar 5, 14 at 04:48 PM DH spent a couple of days at the Museum> wow - more of a rail enthusiast or nut than me - if he lived in Britain he could become one of the infamous Train Spotters - folks you see at stations and the ends of the platform recording head codes on every train (train numbers on front of engine) that rolls thru - compiling thousands of different trains they have 'spotted' - Calpham Junction in London is a station he may want to spend a few hours in - train spotters heaven with the most trains rolling thru it of any station in the UK - it says on the station walls "Britain's busiest train station." Cheers! ingretha8339 on Mar 5, 14 at 09:27 PM Hey PalenQ, you are right he is quite a train nut. He with some other men organise a model trian convention every year here in South Australia which is very popular. He loves the 12" to the foot variety of trains(not sure what that is in metric lingo) but also HO scale.

So, that is why I don't listen to every word he says about trains, what they are called and where they go, sometimes it goes in one ear and out the other. Nevertheless, he is quite happy to let me do all of the organising for this 6 weeks in the UK. Train London to Edinburgh Posted by: ingretha8339 on Mar 3, 14 at 8:07pm I will be travelling with my husband from London to Edinburgh on 8 June 2014 hopefully by train. Could anyone tell me the cheapest site to buy tickets on line for this trip. If you are planning on additional rail travel you might consider the All-Brit Flexipass for England, Scotland, and Wales. For unlimited rail travel to be used anytime within a 2-month period a three day senior (60+) pass is $285 2nd class and $355 1st class. I rode with a 1st class pass from Edinburgh to London with a two night stopover in York. Great train and great stopover. The train had free WiFi and electrical outlets at the seats, and tea on every table. I bought my pass from B.E.T.S.

in Michigan. Here is their site . I'm sue you can find a retailer in Australia. PalenQ on Mar 6, 14 at 02:05 PM The train had free WiFi and electrical outlets at the seats, and tea on every table.> I try to take Virgin Trains whenever possible with my first-class passes - there you get seemingly endless complimentary snacks and beverages the whole way - I love first class because I can just hop on any train IME and have lots of empty seats to spread out on - there is IME a huge difference between first- and standard-class on British trains -much more so than on Continental trains and the pass gives complete flexibility to just show up and hop on any train - such tickets, even in Standard Class can cost a ton of money and a fortune in first class. bvlenci on Mar 6, 14 at 03:29 PM I was just looking at the senior rail card, because my husband and I are hoping to take a holiday in northern England and Scotland, mostly by train. The rail card costs £30 and saves 1/3 on rail tickets. I assume this savings would be applied to the full price of the tickets; is that so?

If it is, it might be more convenient to get advance-purchase discounts instead. For example, if I look for London to York tickets for a date in May, I can get them for as little as £13.60, whereas if I want tickets for tomorrow, I'd have to pay nearly £50. If the senior rail card gives a discount only on the full-price tickets, that would bring the cost down to £35, but it would still be a lot more expensive than buying the tickets well in advance. On the other hand, buying tickets well in advance has its risks. Last year we were planning this same trip, but we had to cancel it because of a family illness. We were able to cancel all the hotel reservations (except one) without cost, but we lost the money we'd spent on discounted train fares. Also the air fare, of course, but those were cheap Ryanair tickets. In any case, if the ticket prices were otherwise more than £90, this senior rail card would save money. The card is good for a year, so obviously the longer you'll be in the UK the more the card would save.

I received an offer in the mail today for a "two together" railcard, which offers the same 30% discount for any two people who always travel together. It also costs £30 and is also good for one year. chartley on Mar 6, 14 at 04:17 PM The Senior Railcard gives a discount on whatever ticket you buy. So if you buy a discounted ticket, you still get the same percentage discount, but off the discounted price. Discounted tickets are available until shortly before the day of departure, but the cheapest tickets may sell out. Personally, I never buy a ticket until I am sure of the date and time that I want to travel. It is also worth looking at the difference between First class and standard class ticekts. This is much smaller outside the peak travelling hours, and so it can be worth paying for the extra space and free refreshments. This also depends on the route and railway company concerned.

Flying Scotsman grinds to halt on inaugural run due to 'mindless' trespassers | UK news | The Guardian Rail transport Flying Scotsman grinds to halt on inaugural run due to 'mindless' trespassers East coast main line and iconic steam train forced to stop during London-York journey due to fans taking pictures from tracks Thursday 25 February 2016 12.02 EST First published on Thursday 25 February 2016 05.13 EST Close This article is 11 months old After a 10-year refit costing £4.2m and meticulous preparation, Flying Scotsman’s much-anticipated return to the track was briefly halted by an unforeseen obstacle – overexcited fans. As the world-famous locomotive travelled from London to York on Thursday for the inaugural journey since its hiatus, its progress was rudely interrupted by dozens of hardy steam enthusiasts standing on the line to try to photograph the national treasure. Rail magazine editor, Nigel Harris, who was on the train, described a “big brake” before Flying Scotsman came to a “shuddering stop” near St Neots, Cambridgeshire.

Footage filmed from the stationary train showed people walking down the line holding cameras. Other trains were also affected with Virgin reporting delays of 15 minutes on the east coast mainline. Network Rail press (@networkrailPR) We've had to stop all trains on the East Coast Main Line incl. #FlyingScotsman because of huge number of trespassers. Please, don't. February 25, 2016 British Transport police, who were called shortly after 9am to reports of around 60 people on the line, were forced to issue a warning of the potential consequences of trespassing on the line, while acknowledging “people are excited about the Flying Scotsman’s return”. There was a similar plea from Network Rail, but Harris did not mince his words, describing the incident as “rampant trespass by mindless hordes”. No arrests were made. Locomotive 60103 was held up for 10 minutes before resuming at a reduced speed and it eventually chugged into York station to a rapturous reception at 1.20pm, about 40 minutes behind schedule.

The crowds at York mirrored those seen for the train’s 7.40am departure from London’s King’s Cross, which covered platform one in steam, and where hundreds of people arrived from 6am to secure a vantage point. Pinterest Flying Scotsman leaves King’s Cross station in London after a £4.2m restoration. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Some 297 VIPs, fundraisers, competition winners and members of the public who paid up to £450 were on board for the trip, many struggling to contain their excitement. Among them was Ron Kennedy, who drove Flying Scotsman from 1956 until it was retired in 1963. The 83-year-old, from Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, beamed with delight as the locomotive pulled into the station he first worked at as a cleaner almost 70 years ago. “It’s unbelievable. I never dreamt about being on it again. To be out with it is just fantastic,” he said. “It was a good engine.” Fellow passenger Tony Hey, 70, said: “This is a totally different experience.

Electric trains are all the same!” Sitting on plush burgundy-red velvet seats behind white tablecloths, passengers ate porridge, sipped tea and drank champagne. The train was painted in the traditional early 1960s British Rail green for its first official outing after the restoration project, and staff wore matching uniforms. Pinterest Flying Scotsman hauled a train full of VIPs on its first London-to-York run since the restoration was complete. Photograph: Toby Smith/Getty Images Built in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, in 1923, Flying Scotsman soon became the star locomotive of the British railway system, pulling the first officially recorded train to break the 100mph barrier in 1934. It was also the first to link London to Edinburgh – the route which gave it its name - in a single journey, then the longest non-stop rail journey ever achieved.

Michael Portillo, who was travelling on the train as part of filming for BBC documentary series Great British Railway Journeys, said: “This is certainly the most famous journey and most famous locomotive in Britain.” He described Flying Scotsman as an engineering triumph and praised its designer, Nigel Gresley, for having “an eye for engineering, for design, for style and for marketing”. Pinterest Flying Scotsman passes over the Digswell Viaduct near Welwyn Garden City. Photograph: Steve Parsons/PA Flying Scotsman enjoyed 40 years of service before it was bought by the industrialist Alan Pegler, who transported it across the Atlantic in 1969 to pull tourist trains on the west coast of the United States. But the venture was not a success. Pegler was forced into bankruptcy and the train was stranded in the US. William McAlpine heard about its plight and his rescue plan enabled it to be brought back to Britain in 1973, where it passed through the hands of several owners before it was eventually saved for the nation.

The National Railway Museum’s director, Paul Kirkman, said Flying Scotsman was a reminder that “railways have been making this country run properly for nearly 200 years”. He described the restoration project as a “long old journey” but said it was incredibly satisfying to see the locomotive returned to service.

Question: Which London station did the 'Flying Scotsman' depart from on it's daily journey to Edinburgh?
Answer: KING'S CROSS